This coming Tusesday is the first night of Chanukah. We light Chanukah candles each night for the next eight nights – increasing the number of candles according to the number of days. We make the following blessings upon lighting: Lehadlik Ner Shel Chanukah and She’asah Nissim, and on the first night, Shehecheyanu. We add Al Hanissim to our Shemoneh Esreh in all our prayers and in Birkas Hamazon.

The order for every day of Chanukah is as follows: in the Shemoneh Esreh and Birkas Hamazon we say Al Hanissim, no Tachanun or E-l Erech Appayim, whole Hallel followed by half Kaddish (except ons Rosh Chodesh, when we say whole Kaddish and Musaf). We then read from the Torah, beginning in Bamidbar (7.1), Parashas Naso, each day the first two Aliyos from the Nasi of that day. The third Aliya is from the Nasi of the following day. On the eighth day, the third Aliya concludes in the beginning of Parashas Beha’aloscha (Bamidbar 8:4), half Kaddish, no Yehi Ratzon. After the Torah reading we say Ashrei, U’va LeTziyyon, we omit Lamenatze’ach and at the usual conclusion of tefilla we add Mizmor Shir Chanukas Habayis.

The following chapters of Tehillim are being recited by many congregations and Yeshivos for our brothers and sisters in Eretz Yisrael: Chapter 83, 130, 142. – Y.K.

About the Author:Rabbi Yaakov Klass, rav of Congregation K’hal Bnei Matisyahu in Flatbush, Brooklyn, is Torah Editor of The Jewish Press. He can be contacted at yklass@jewishpress.com.

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